ARCHIVED - New police car cameras can read and process 400 number plates per minute

The Policía Nacional are updating their fleet of patrol cars to increase their efficiency and environmental friendliness, with the first ten vehicles currently beginning duty in Valencia, Madrid, Sevilla, Zaragoza, Málaga, Palma de Mallorca and Vigo,

The Toyota Prius + cars are powered by hybrid engines and each has three cameras equipped with technology which enables them to automatically read the number plates of up to 400 vehicles around them per minute, while the data are automatically checked to detect any which correspond to fake plates or stolen vehicles. The on-board computer systems are capable of exchanging information, messages, images and videos in real time, and while until now patrol cars have been known as “Coches Zeta” (Z-cars) the new models are being dubbed “i-Zeta”.

On top of this, in the glove compartment is a fingerprint reader, making it possible to check the identity of individuals on the spot rather than taking them to a police station, and the officer in the passenger seat can log in to the central console to consult databases while on the move. Three more on-board cameras capture images of the exterior of the vehicle and the rear seat, where suspects are carried, and all footage is stored for 30 days.

By 2020 the number of i-Z cars being used on the streets and roads of Spain will be increased to 162, equivalent to 10 per cent of the entire fleet, and it is anticipated that as a result of the application of this advanced technology officers will be able to devote more time to protecting citizens in public places, as it will not be necessary for them to return to their headquarters in order to complete the paperwork which the i-Zeta vehicles will perform for them, according to Francisco Pardo, head of the force.